She Breaks What She Gets
by the newest cullen
Summary: Manipulative Bella is shaken by the arrival of Edward at the pretentious Forks Academy. Can they grow up and find a way to make it work, or will their firey romance get too hot to handle? T for language, title may change.
1. First Day

"I WANT A FUCKING DIVORCE."

The little brown haired woman finally lost her cool, and jumped up and screamed. "DID YOU HEAR ME?"

Her husband, an amused looking man with reddish brown hair, simply rolled his eyes and smirked. "Bella, you know you'll regret this in the morning."

She banged a fist on the table. "No, I will not. I don't know why the FUCK I married you. You've been the same way since we were teenagers! WIPE THAT FUCKING SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE! You KNOW I hate that, Edward."

He sighed, and continued to look bored. "Seriously. This is such typical Bella behavior. You'll be over this in about ten minutes. You're just being stupid."

A sweet smile spread across her face. "Oh really, Edward? I'm being stupid? At least I wasn't the one who had to retake their SAT's four times."

He finally reacted, standing up so quickly his chair fell to the ground. "JESUS! That was FIVE years ago! Just let it fucking go!"

"Do NOT tell me what to do Edward Cullen."

"Oh, the last name? Well it's your last name too."

"It won't be for long."

"Not if I have anything to do with it."

She threw her water in his face.

Their dumbfounded lawyer took advantage of the silence.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen? Can you please sit down?"

*****

The familiar beep of the alarm clock jolted me awake before I knocked it off the bedside table.

Fucking alarm clock.

I hauled myself out of bed and into the shower.

Today was my first day of junior year at good ol' Forks Academy, home of the Spartans, sluts, and stuck-ups.

Someone get me a bucket to contain my joy.

I finished showering and then grabbed a towel and stepped out. Wiping away the steam in the mirror, I did a quick check for any breakouts that could ruin a first day. My usually pale skin was clear. Thank the Lord. I had a lot riding on my appearance this year.

I went back to my room and quickly got dressed in a typical Bella Barbie outfit. A pretty, girly, short sleeve white blouse and a short-ish "a-line" plaid skirt. My best friend, Alice, helped me pick them out and then drilled the right terminology into me.

Alice was creative and slightly fashion obsessed. She was less than five feet tall with a spiky mop of black hair and almost exotic looking features. Her large, slightly slanted amber eyes dominated her delicate elfin face. I was eternally jealous of her waifish figure.

Her passion for clothes had a lot to do with her background. Alice came from a severely dark past that even I, after knowing her for seven years, didn't know all about. What I did know, was that Alice's former parents were hyper-religious and used to psychologically abuse her in some pretty twisted ways. She was in intensive therapy and was just starting to remember and break through some of the more traumatic events. After being adopted by Esme and Carlisle Cullen, her naturally sunny personality started to come out more.

True to Alice's advice and my own insistence on heels, I grabbed a pair of red peep toes with three inch heels.

Every day at school for me was like a new part in a play. Only I was the same person every day. I laughed, flirted, and played the role of the seemingly shallow popular girl because I knew that's how I would get the notice I needed. I needed to be on committees, and run clubs, and be a star, because that's what would get me into a good college and out of Forks. My dad, the Forks chief of police, stressed the importance of a good education. He didn't want me to be stuck here. Forks Academy was just about the best damn school on the Western Coast. It's name was respected all over the world, and ninety five percent of graduates went on to Ivy League or it's international equivalents. We were supposed to be the best and the brightest. It's a shame that most of us- well, them, really -were as shallow as a spilled puddle of their Starbucks coffees.

Nearly everyone here was stupid enough to fall for shiny Bella Barbie. I could manipulate the girls here with a mention of a shopping trip together this weekend or get them to pull the strings I couldn't with a comment about a coveted charity seat. Forks did tons of charity work and had almost a hundred student organizations. I needed to shine in them all to get what I wanted.

I could work their men too. I knew that getting what I wanted would take a bat of the lashes plus a bitten lip like I knew one plus one equals two. An innocent blush sent them into paroxysms of chivalry. They had no idea. To them, I was little pretty Isabella, who didn't know the affect she had on men. Wrong.

If it wasn't for the four people I could call true friends, I'd go insane. Alice, Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie. I trusted them with everything. They knew my true background and I was myself around them. They understood the role that I played, because they were hiding too. Jasper and Rosalie were dealing with a harsh military childhood. Emmett had been raising himself since his mother committed suicide. We were a bunch of lost souls, but at least we had each other.

After swiping on a light layer of foundation, some mascara, and my favorite shimmer chap stick, I navigated carefully down the stairs to the kitchen, where Charlie was making the only thing he could: pancakes.

"Morning, Dad," I said as I slid into a seat at the counter.

He added another pancake to my plate and then set it in front of me. "Sleep well?"

I shrugged. "You know how it is." Insomnia was a constant issue for me.

He shook her head slightly. "Are you sure you don't want to see Dr. Pattinson again, dear?"

"I think I'll be okay."

I glanced at the clock, which said 7:20. Shit. Only a half an hour. I shot up from my seat and grabbed my stuff.

I gave him a quick hug on my sprint out the door, pulling my bag over my shoulder as I went. "Bye Dad!"

*****

Ten minutes later I was at school with twenty minutes to spare, thank God, when my phone started ringing.

I picked up and heard Alice scream, "HURRY UP!" into the phone.

"JESUS, Alice. Do you think you could fucking cool it? I'm tired," I grumbled as I arranged a prop Vogue in front of me to keep people away while I was on the phone.

She smirked and I could hear her honking the horn of her pretty yellow Porsche. "Some old lady wouldn't move. And watch your language. The Forkians won't approve of that one, darlin'."

"Don't remind me."

"You at school yet?"

"Again, don't remind me."

She snorted. "How many broken hearts so far?"

"None. I'm laying low, looking very interested in Vogue. You know how it is."

"Twenty bucks on Newton puppy dogging you again this year."

"Fifty on you and Jazz declaring true love after three hours. Really, now, why won't you just tell him?"

Alice was pretty much in love with our friend Jasper, and I was about ninety percent sure that he felt the same way. They would honestly make the cutest couple. She was tiny, dark haired, and outgoing, and he was tall, blonde, and kept kind of to himself.

She scoffed. "Shut up. Maybe if you would stop playing these boys like chopsticks on a piano then maybe you could actually find someone, Bells. Think about it."

For some reason, those simple words triggered a deep panic inside of me, and I suddenly felt uneasy. "Too heavy for before school. Now step on it, 'Lis, I know you wanna."

She laughed wickedly and I could hear the engine rev.

"I told you about Edward, right?"

The name sounded familiar. "Yeah, I think."

"He flew in last night. My cousin, remember?"

It clicked. "Oh yeah! I talked to Mr. Banner and he said I could be his guide."

Mr. Banner was the teacher adviser to student council, one of the many clubs and such I headed. At Alice's request, I set it up so I would be Edward's "official guide" and help him "adjust" to Forks life.

"Good. Alright Bells I'll be there in like ten seconds."

"Kay. I saved ya a spot."

She hung up and I shoved the magazine back into my glove compartment and grabbed my bag. I made it out of the car as Alice pulled screeching into her spot.

"Hey girl." Alice bounced over and I gave her a tight hug. I looked over her outfit appreciatively. "Someone looks adorable."

"Ya think?" She adjusted her long white cardigan, which she layered over a grey vest, white top, and grey skinny jeans.

I raised my eyebrows and flicked my eyes down to her stomach. Discreetly, we performed our morning routine. Alice sighed and quickly lifted up her shirt while I scanned her hipbones for new scars. I noticed a fairly new one.

"'Lis, what's going on?" I asked, concerned. Alice's therapy brought up new memories almost every session, and they were extremely difficult for her to deal with. She has to let someone check her every morning for new scars. To save her from possible awkwardness with the Cullen's, I volunteered.

"The usual," she said quietly. "And all the stress, you know how it gets. It's from like three days ago, and I already talked to Dr. Pattinson about it."

I slid my arm through hers and hip checked her gently. "Just remember you can talk to me. Now lets go."

We lifted our chins and started what we called "The Strut" towards the doors, until someone cleared their throat loudly behind us.

I swiveled and caught the stunning green eyes of someone I didn't recognize. His narrowed eyes were almost covered by messy bronze hair, and they coolly and clearly assessed me.

Goddamn, he was hot.

I felt a hot blush start to rise in my face, and I'm sure that this beautiful stranger noticed, because his lips twisted into a smirk.

"Oh my God! Sorry Edward, I completely forgot!" Alice fluttered. "Um, this is Bella. Bella, my cousin Edward."

Edward nodded. "Where do I go to check in?" His voice sounded like chocolate and velvet and sleeping all day. It made my toes curl.

Some squeaky words I didn't catch came out of Alice's mouth and then Edward was walking away into a sea of over-groomed humanity.

"Bella. Stop staring, it's creepy."

I blinked. "Alice, why didn't you tell me he was so... fuck."

She giggled and we resumed walking towards the school.

"Again, creepy. He's my cousin."

A few people called out greetings and we smiled and waved cheerfully.

"Um, if he was my cousin, I'd definitely pull a Karen from Mean Girls."

"Jesus, what are you, twelve?" Alice teased. "Now shut the hell up, go to class, and flirt with the old money fools."

I saluted. "Kay. See you at lunch?"

"Yeah, everyone's gonna be there."

"Good."

We separated and I started down the path to the science building.

"Isabella! Wait up!"

Newton. I groaned internally.

There was nothing wrong with Mike Newton, per say. Tall, with meager attempts at muscles, baby blue eyes, and "effortless" gel filled hair, most girls at FA would drop their panties in a second for him. He was annoying, and crass, and he followed me like a puppy dog. If he had been anyone else, I would had told them to fuck off and moved on. But Mike was probably the most popular kid in this place, and I needed the popularity. So a little flirting here and there kept him wrapped around my finger.

I spread a fake smile across my face and turned around. "Hey Mike," I cooed.

He swaggered up to me and grinned. "How was your summer, girl?"

"It was alright. How was yours? You look like you've been working out." I said "shyly," with a little flutter of the eyelashes.

As he puffed up with pride, his entourage, Tyler Crowley and Eric Yorkie came barreling down the pack yelling hello's. Tyler and Eric were cute in that prep school, my-mom's-personal-shopper-bought-me-this-button-down way. Nothing special, but they weren't huge tools.

"Hey, Isabella," Eric leered. "You just get prettier every year, darlin'."

Gross. _Scrotumscrotumscrotumscrotum_ Aha! Blush.

I may have somewhat of a pottymouth, but for cueing a blush, the "s" word usually got the job done.

"Oh, Eric," I giggled. "Who has Banner first hour?"

Tyler raised a hand casually. "You're in luck, babe. We all do."

I grinned like this was the best news all day. "Walk me to class?" I asked as I tucked my hand into his elbow. Rosalie taught me that one, her and Jasper grew up in the South.

"Of course," Mike said, coming up behind me and taking my bag.

"You guys are just so sweet," I gushed as we walked the remaining steps to the building. I groaned internally again.

Same shit, different year.

**Okay, so this is really different than Love Story. I promise I'll finish that within a week, I'm just writer's blocking! This chapter beat its way out of me.**

**Anyway, tell me your thoughts. Should I continue this?**

**Thanks for reading! Love Story will be updated soon and so will this, pending your feedback.**


	2. First Fight

The woman slammed back into her chair. Her husband followed. They stared blankly at the lawyer.

He cleared his throat. "Alright, so we're gathered to discuss a divorce?"

The man snorted. "Clearly."

"Okay, I'll need some general information about your marriage," he asked carefully. "First, how long have you been married?"

"Two weeks."

The lawyer stared, shocked again.

"Um, well, alright, this is certainly unusual, but I'm sure we can handle it," he sputtered. "Would you mind telling me why?"

*****

**EPOV**

After figuring out where my seat was, I settled in and started the five page AP Chem review packet the teacher, Mr. Bann-something, gave me.

Forks Academy was already boring me. I was fairly sure I knew more than this teacher did, by the looks of this packet. I raced through the first page and had started on the second by the time the bell rang.

As it shrilly rang throughout the classroom, another sound filled my consciousness. A high, musical laughter that made me smile, for some unknown reason. I looked to the door and saw Bella waltz into the classroom on the arm of some mama's boy and his friends.

I watched, stunned, as she shot a sweetly seductive smile at the trio and sashayed over to Mr. Banner's desk to find her seat assignment.

Jesus. What kind of people was Alice friends with?

Alice and I met a few weeks after my aunt and uncle adopted her when we were both seven. We had always been really close, and I considered here more family than people I was blood related to. I knew all about her past. When I decided to move here from Chicago, Alice had warned me that no one knew but a few of her friends and I would have to cool it on the protectiveness. I promised I would, which was kind of a lie.

But this Bella girl. She was a walking, talking contradiction. The way Alice talked about her, she seemed like the perfect best friend for her. Supporting her time and time again, the Bella of our conversations loved the classics and was extremely smart and incredibly kind.

That wasn't the girl I met today.

Bella was undeniably beautiful, but there was something off about her. As she walked through the crowded classroom, I saw her discreetly sizing up the other guys in the class. She walked and acted with the air of someone oblivious to their own looks, but I saw the calculating look in her big, chocolate brown, mesmerizing eyes when she thought no one was looking. She had the perfect little body, and I could see how she clearly used it to her advantage. There wasn't a male or female eye not on her in the little science room.

Again, though, there was something off about her. I didn't like the way that Alice seemed to change into someone else as we pulled into the parking lot. I recognized the calculating look in her eyes as the same as Bella's. And now, I could see her acting like a superficial spoiled brat, which she probably was.

She suddenly stopped her strut right next to my desk and slid into the one next to mine, crossing her long, pale legs.

I watched as she started working on her packet. I was fascinated by the way she did the problems. She would quickly finish the first step, and then pause. I noticed her foot tapping during those parts. It was like she was deliberately making herself go slower.

Once I got over that shock, I noticed her elaborately struggling expression and frequent sighs. After about fifteen minutes, she had finished her first page. I glanced at it and noticed shockingly that they were all one hundred percent right.

I realized with a start that I had been neglecting my own work this whole time. I quickly raced through another page, then turned my attention back to Bella.

She surveyed the room carefully, making sure that everyone there was sufficiently occupied. Then she started scribbling on her packet, working through two more pages in just ten minutes. She then began her little solve and pause routine again.

Shaking my head, I went back to doing my own work, and finished the remaining problems with about ten minutes of class left to spare. I reached under my desk and pulled out an old favorite, _Catch-22._

"Number four is wrong."

My head jerked to where the voice came from, and found myself staring into the innocently smug face of Bella Swan.

"Excuse me?"

Her hypnotizing full lips twisted into a taunting smirk. "Number four, on the packet? It's wrong."

Anger boiled through me. What the hell? "No, it's not."

Leaning forward and sighing like I was some stupid child, she pointed at some work about halfway through the problem.

"You forgot to convert from Torr's to atmosphere."

Giggling, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

I cursed under my breath. She was right. I decided to ignore her and I turned back to my book.

A few minutes later, I snuck a peek at Bella, only to see her straining her eyes to read off my page.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

She blinked. "Nothing."

Eager for some revenge, I rolled my eyes. "It's not like you'd understand anyway, so read on."

"Oh really?" Bella narrowed her eyes and sat up straighter in her chair. "I read that book this summer."

"I'm sure you're an expert in historical satire and paradox," I mocked.

"And you're some kind of literary genius? Oh, I'm sorry, with your perfect AP Chem recall you must be an all around genius. I didn't realize I was in the company of such a great mind."

"You wouldn't recognize a great mind if it kicked you in the shins."

The bell rang, and we sat unmoving, glaring at each other.

"Isabella? You coming to English?" Newton called.

"Of course, Mike. Just give me a second to get all these books," she simpered.

She stood up and headed for the door, stopping to kick me, HARD, in the shin, with her shiny red shoes.

"Well I hope you can."

And then she was gone, leaving me angry and entranced and thirsty for more. And with an aching leg. That would definitely bruise.

I hurried out the door so I would make my next class, Calculus, which was halfway across campus.

What was the matter with me? I hadn't acted so immaturely since... ever, really. My mother, Elizabeth, always needed me to take care of her, not the other way around. It was one of the many reasons I came to live with Carlisle and Esme. Mom's lifestyle was getting out of control, and she decided to take off to Europe to spend some time with her new, six years older than me boyfriend. But for all her flaws, she had raised me right. I wasn't the kind of guy to get in a childish argument with a girl on my first day of school.

I had to admit, Bella certainly surprised me. She was, true to Alice's description, ridiculously smart and, looking back on our little argument, kind of hilarious. If only she wasn't so damn infuriating.

The math building suddenly appeared in front of me and I navigated to my classroom without incident. Inside was a different story.

Immediately after stepping through the doors, a huge, muscular guy with a head full of curls and a perma-grin accosted me.

"Hey, dude, are you Edward? Alice's cousin?" he boomed.

"Um, yes?"

"Oh good!" He seemed to have one volume. Loud. "I'm Emmett. Alice told me she told you about me."

This huge guy was Emmett? Alice had described him as almost heartbreakingly sweet and from a rough background. I expected a scrawny, maybe five foot tall guy. Instead it seemed like Emmett was the male version of Bella- everyone was watching him.

"Yeah she did," I confirmed. "Nice to meet ya, man."

He laughed and gestured for me to follow him. "Come on, sit by me. We're practically brothas already." He slumped into a desk, looking almost comically giant.

The teacher started talking about the syllabus as I sized up the room. A mixture of preppy over achievers mixed with your stereotypical nerds. Nice.

A light punch on my arm came from the right. Emmett raised his eyebrows and made a phone with his phone book sized hand, then looked pointedly at my pocket. Right on cue, my cell vibrated.

It was a text from a number I didn't recognize. "You?" I mouthed to him. He nodded discreetly.

I added the number to my contacts and then opened the message.

Emmett: _I know I'm probably not what you expected, but we keep the act going during school hours, if you know what I'm sayin.'_

Confused, I texted back.

Me: _What do you mean?_

Emmett: _Haven't you noticed Alice acting a little different?_

Me: _Yeah, I figured it was Bella being a bad influence. No offense._

His shoulders shook with silent laughter.

Emmett: _Nah. Like I said, we put on a good show for the Forkians. You'll see whats up at lunch._

Me: _Uh, okay? Are you and Alice both in my lunch?_

Emmett: _And Bella, and Rosalie, and Jasper._

All names I recognized from Alice's stories.

Me: _Alright. When's lunch?_

Emmett: _Two more classes. BTW, stay away from Newton and the mama's boy squad. Will explain more later._

I grinned at him.

Me: _I think we'll be great friends._

**Yay for Edward's head!**

**I liked this chapter. It gives a good preview of what their relationship will be like.**

**Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you think, and whether I should continue or not.**

**Another question: Should I do all six POVS, or just Bella and Edward?**

**Thanks again!**


	3. First Lunch

"When did the problems start?"

The woman's forehead furrowed. "What do you mean by problems?"

"Well, the arguing, really. No offense intended, but we could hear the two of you halfway down the hallway."

"My apologies," the man said sheepishly. "To be honest, the arguing is a constant thing with us. The first one was an hour after we met each other."

The woman smiled, far off in a not so old high school memory. "I was right."

The couple laughed together.

"I remember though," she continued, "that first lunch. That's kind of where it really began."

*****

**BPOV**

I was still fuming halfway through AP English when my phone buzzed.

Emmett: _What's up with you and Edward?_

My free hand curled into a fist. Edward. Honestly, how could something so fucking beautiful be so irritating? Swooping in here with his tortured genius novels and tattered Converse to make me break the carefully controlled facade I maintained at school.

I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kiss him.

I wasn't sure which.

Me: _He seems to have a special gift for pushing my buttons. Why do you ask?_

Emmett: _LOL! Heaven help the man who incurs the wrath of Bella on the first day of school._

I stifled a giggle. Emmett was forever teasing me about my "kitten temper."

Me: _LOL I'm not that bad. How's your day been?_

Emmett: _It's been alright. You stayin' away from the Koolaid?_

Me: _You know it._

Emmett: _Alice told me to tell you that we're explaining what's up to Edward at lunch._

Me: _Why? You know he won't understand._

Emmett: _I think he'll start to notice when the five of us start acting like we have multiple personality disorder. Besides, he's cool._

Out of our tightly knit group, I wasn't the only one putting on the daily show. All five of us had our own reasons for hiding behind the Forks Academy mold masks. Alice was terrified that she would somehow mess up and be made fun of, like she was in grade school. On several occasions Alice had burst into hysterics at the end of the day when her parents were coming. Of course, they denied any and all accusations and sweet little Alice was branded a freak by her classmates. Jasper was a cynic by seventh grade. Moving around so often had crippled his willingness to get close to anyone. He was very reserved and introverted. It took us about a year to coax him out of his shell. Rosalie, his twin sister, was the only one he would talk to. She was more concerned with maintaining the upper hand on all the male attention she received. She was drop dead gorgeous, but she couldn't escape the catcalls. I know something had happened with her first boyfriend, but she refused to talk about it or let her guard down with any guy. Emmett was more like Jasper, they just hid from people in different ways, Emmett by being exuberant and shallow rather than quiet.

Basically, the five of us were all trying to protect ourselves. We had been let down and hurt so many damn times that it was too hard for any of us to branch out from our "family" and be let down again. So we created an elaborate facade, playing the parts of happy go lucky teens. It never slipped.

Me: _*sigh.* I guess. I'm gonna go. Love ya man._

Emmett: _Love you too Bells. Say hey to Rosalie and Jasper for me. You have Calc with them next hour, right?_

Me: _Yup. Consider it said._

I slipped my phone into my bag and turned my attention back to the teacher for a few minutes. Quickly, boredom struck while hearing about the books I'd already read, so I pulled out my battered copy of _Pride and Prejudice _and escaped into someone else's superficial world until the bell rang.

Mike kept up a steady chatter while he walked me to the math building after insisting on taking my books. Largely due to the actions of Rosalie, Alice, and myself, Mike fancied himself a gentleman. I nodded and laughed in all the right places while my mind wandered.

I waved goodbye to him at the door and went into the classroom.

Jasper and Rosalie were sitting near the back with an empty seat next to Rose. They were doing "the twin thing" again: silently arguing with their matching deep blue eyes. The Hale's were both blonde, tall, and lean with aristocratic features. They spent most of their father's military years in the southern part of the country and both had muted southern drawls and impeccable manners.

Rosalie was the most gorgeous girl I'd ever met, and I had yet to meet someone that disagreed with me. Girls flocked to her because of her fashion sense: only the very best was good enough for Rose. The guys were a bit simpler. Quite frankly, she was irresistible. Alice and I teased her and called her "Scarlett" because she knew exactly how to work the Southern Belle thing. Like any best friend, she shared her knowledge. What I liked the most about Rosalie was the stuff not many people got to see, like the way she knew a car's engine inside and out and her fierce protectiveness of her friends. She was the one I could always count on.

Her brother, Jasper, was another great friend of mine. He was quiet and rarely spoke. But when he did, he was hilariously witty and could always diffuse a tense situation. Emmett swore he would become a therapist someday, because he was a fantastic listener and gave the best advice.

"Hey Jazz, hey Rosalie," I said.

They grinned. "Good mornin', Bella," Jasper drawled. "Same old, same old?"

I grimaced. "Unfortunately."

"Agreed," Rosalie huffed. "Fucking James already tried to grab my ass three times."

Jasper elbowed her lightly. "Rose, deal with it later. You know he doesn't matter."

She looked slightly chagrined but seemed to relax. She turned to me and eyed my shoes.

"Are those the ones we bought-"

"Last week? Yeah."

"Good choice," she congratulated.

I smiled. "Thanks. You and Alice are starting to rub off on me."

"It's about time!" she teased. "Anyway, I'm just excited that we all have lunch together next hour."

We chatted for most of class, working through the review packet that the apathetic Mr. Varner dropped on all our desks.

"Have either of y'all met Alice's cousin yet?" Jasper asked, looking up from his cell phone.

"Yes," I groaned.

Rosalie raised a perfect eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

"He's completely gorgeous, and totally infuriating. We got in the most childish argument during AP Physics and I actually kicked him in the shins as I was leaving the classroom," I ranted. "He thinks I'm superficial and stupid and I could just punch him!"

Once my- NOT -favorite twins stopped laughing at me, Jasper eyed me suspiciously.

"You like him don't you?" he asked.

"What?! No!" I cried.

He smirked. "You sure about that?"

"Yes. Completely," I spat. "He's an asshole."

Rosalie shrugged, obviously not believing me. "Whatever. Come on, the bell's about to ring."

The three of us escaped from class and walked down the hallway, talking about stupid topics and laughing a little too loudly. Standard procedure, it was almost automatic. We reached the lunchroom and found that Alice had already saved us a prime table.

"HEY GUYS!" The familiar boom of Emmett's voice rang from behind us.

A grin spread across my face. Emmett was a true sweetheart and could always make me smile. "Emmett!" I exclaimed. He grabbed me up in one of his signature bear hugs. "I missed you! How was Mexico?"

"It was muy bien," he joked, slapping hands with Jasper and mussing Rosalie's hair.

"AHEM!" We turned and saw Alice looking peeved at the table. "Don't leave me hanging. I haven't seen Rose in weeks!"

They exchanged greetings while we took our regular spots. Me between Alice and Jasper, Rosalie next to him, and Emmett last. An empty seat sat between Alice and Emmett that we usually disregarded. I was just about to throw my bag into it when it was suddenly filled with six feet and two inches of Edward.

Emmett held out a fist for him to bump. "Whassup?"

Edward returned the greeting and laughed.

"Hi, Alice's cousin," Rosalie said bluntly. "What's your name again?"

He looked slightly taken aback but recovered well. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Edward Cullen."

Jasper did that male head thing. "Jasper Hale. The one with no manners is Rosalie."

"Shut up, Jazz, we're not at Grandmother's house anymore," she snapped.

Edward smiled slightly. "Twins?"

They nodded.

"So, Edward, how's your first day been?" Alice chirped.

He shrugged. "It's been alright. A lot different from Chicago. FA has some...interesting people here." His gaze flickered to me during the last second. Alice didn't miss that, and she shot me a questioning look, which I ignored.

Emmett snorted. "You can say that again. Have you met Lauren Mallory yet?"

"Dear God, unfortunately. How the hell did she even get in here?"

All six of us laughed together. I noted that Edward looked comfortable, and even Jasper seemed to be warming up to him.

"Lauren's a shining example of what money can buy in Forks," I explained. "She bought her face, body, and acceptance letter to FA."

"Yeah, she's practically the symbol of everything we don't want to become," Rosalie added.

Edward sent a pointed look to Emmett, who shifted and leaned in closer to the table.

Lowering his voice, he said, "Basically, we have to explain everything to Edward. Alice, do you wanna?"

"Sure." She cleared her throat and began. "So, Edward, I know you've noticed me acting differently today, and you probably saw how everyone acts a little different from how I've described them to you, right?" He nodded warily, so she continued. "We all act that way on purpose. Forks Academy is a dog eat dog place. The slightest weakness shown will be exploited to the breaking point. The five of us have our own reasons for hiding, but we accept it. It's probably not healthy, but pretending to be someone else while at school is easier, and safer for us."

He looked deep in thought. "So that's why you were acting that way this morning?" Alice nodded.

I spoke up. "Honestly, we don't want to end up like the people of Forks, with sham marriages and unhappy kids. We want out of Forks. Succeding in high school is just about the only way to get a scholarship to a far off college where we can rebuild our lives. But in Forks, no one gets into top positions or the opportunities we want without being 'popular.' So we pretend to fit the Forks mold."

"So after school, you'll turn back into the people Alice said I would like?" he clarified.

I nodded.

Edward looked relieved. "Thank God. I was afraid that everyone here would be... yeah."

We shrugged awkwardly, then all six of us went back to eating silently. It was so rare that we talked about the act that I felt exposed. Personally, I was somewhat ashamed and a hell of a lot angry. The fact that I had to dress like an unaware slut and act like an airhead to be student body president was so wrong on so many levels.

Alice eventually struck up a conversation with the twins about their summer in Georgia, and the silence was broken. Lunch was finished in a semi-normal way.

We all went our separate ways at the end of the period. I was opening the door when a pale hand shot out to open it for me.

"Bella," Edward said softly. "I wanted to apologize."

"Oh." We walked out the door. "What class do you have next?" I stalled.

"The same one as you." He seemed to understand the awkwardness.

We walked down the path together. I was hyper-aware of his presence beside me. I didn't look at him, but I could feel the tension between us.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he said. "It was wrong of me to jump to conclusions like that."

I looked up at him. "I am too. I reacted like a child. I don't even know why I got so irrationally angry."

"It's okay." He laughed. "We seem to have a gift for pushing each other's buttons."

I met his eyes and smiled. "I'm sorry about your leg."

"That was a hell of a kick."

"At least you'll never forget me," I joked.

His green eyes glowed with an undefinable fire. "I don't ever want to," he said quietly.

My cheeks flamed. "Yeah, me either."

**Yay they were nice to each other!**

**Thank you all for the great feedback. As of now I'll keep it in just the two POVs.**

**I'll hopefully update by Monday or Tuesday.**


	4. First Almost

"You met in high school?" the lawyer clarified.

The man nodded. "Yeah, our junior year. Five years ago."

"Can you give me some information about the beginning of your relationship?"

The couple made eye contact and the woman nodded. "Well, for the first few weeks we argued on and off. It all happened kind of fast. And then one day my tire got all screwed up-"

"It was flat," her husband interrupted.

She shot him the death glare before continuing. "The tire was flat or something and then..."

*****

**EPOV**

My first few weeks in Forks passed quickly. I grew closer and closer to Alice's group of friends and fell into the routine of high school.

I also quickly picked up on the slight differences between everyone's school act and real personality. The girls were enormously flirty, which was hard to get used to, especially from Alice. Emmett was the center of attention and when Jasper spoke, he was more sarcastic than usual. But when it was just us, it was like I'd known them my whole life. We had an easy camaraderie and spent most of our free time together.

About three weeks after I moved to Forks, I had forgotten my AP US History book at school. I had only left about twenty minutes ago so I decided to turn back.

The rain was really pouring down as I turned into the parking lot. That was one of the things I had a hard time adjusting to. All the damn rain. It was ruining my beloved 'verse, which I had had for more than a year.

I had sprinted into the deserted school and was walking out to my car when a familiar screech caught my attention.

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!"

It could only be Bella. I found her huddled under a dirty old raincoat, kneeling by the back tire of her beat up old truck.

I jogged over and crouched down beside her. She was now beating her tire with a wrench.

Note to self: Never leave Bella Swan stranded in the rain. That tire was taking a beating.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

She whipped her head to look at me and I was momentarily stunned. Eyes blazing, cheeks flushed, and her hair tangled, she looked like an angel of fury. Her little hands were clenched in tight fists and her full bottom lip was swollen and bruised where I could tell she'd been biting on it.

"WHAT'S WRONG?!" She demanded. "ONE, I'M LATE. I WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET ALICE AT YOUR HOUSE RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL. TWO, SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY FUCKING CAR. THREE, MY DAD ACTUALLY TAUGHT ME HOW TO CHANGE A FUCKING TIRE, BUT IT IS RAINING TOO DAMN HARD FOR ME TO FIX IT. SO UNLESS YOU WANNA GET A FUCKING TRUCK SIZED UMBRELLA SO I CAN FIX MY FREAKING CAR, GO AWAY, EDWARD. CLEARLY I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF."

I didn't know whether to run away in fear or bust out laughing. This must be what Emmett told me about the "kitten temper."

Biting a lip to keep from laughing, I gently pried the wrench out of her hands. "Bella, I have my car with me and I'm obviously going home. I'll give you a ride." I made to stand up and walk with her over there, but she had stubbornly sat down and crossed her arms. Which was really stupid, by the way, considering that Bella had chosen today to wear another one of her tauntingly short skirts.

"Come on," I said, trying to be nice.

She looked up at me, jaw set and chin jutting out. "Make me," she challenged.

This time the words came through clenched teeth. "Bella, come ON," I repeated.

She adjusted her hood and leaned against the tire she was beating a minute ago in response.

"FINE!" I stormed off towards my car, fully prepared to just leave her stubborn, infuriating ass there. Yanking open the door, I shoved myself in and started the engine, hurling my stuff into the backseat. I was just about to drive off when I saw her clearly for the first time that afternoon.

Sitting in the pouring rain, looking pathetic but utterly defiant, I knew I couldn't leave her. I wanted to protect her from the rain and the people at school and whatever else the world could throw at her. She wasn't like my mother, she didn't truly need me to keep her functioning. Bella tried so damn hard to protect herself, but she was stubborn and prideful to a fault.

I pulled up in the spot next to her and hopped out. "Isabella Marie Swan, get. In. The. Fucking. Car." She didn't acknowledge me. "Now."

With a smirk, she turned on that sickly sweet voice I heard her use with Newton and the like. "Edward, just go home. I am perfectly capable of handling myself."

"Fine." I strode over, picked her tiny, idiot self up, and threw her in the car before she could even recover.

I got back in and restarted the car. In a stupid, cavemanish way, I was feeling pretty proud of myself. Saving the "damsel in distress" and all.

It was lost on me that the damsel in question didn't exactly want to be saved. Bella cleared that up pretty quickly for me.

"What are you, some kind of caveman?" she spat.

Still amused, I looked over at her. "Do you need me to turn the heat up?"

She scoffed, but the moment I looked back to the road I saw her turn it up full blast. She yanked off that raincoat poncho thing and tossed it into the backseat, rubbing her arms to warm herself up.

I snorted. "Yeah, maybe if that shirt actually had sleeves it would be warmer."

"Excuse me?"

Frustrated, I sighed. "That shirt is one of woman kind's greatest mysteries. One, it has a turtleneck, but only short sleeves. That would lead one to assume that it is a short sleeved and therefore useless sweater. But no. Two, it's made of some bullshit thin material that is practically the anti-sweater. Basically, it exists to make men scratch their heads and wonder why the hell someone would buy a turtleneck that's not warm and has no sleeves."

Bella sat dumbfounded and staring before bursting into peals of laughter.

"Edward," she gasped, "I wish I had gotten that on tape. How can you live with Alice and have escaped her fashion lectures?"

She continued to laugh while I fumed out the window. I hated being wrong or proved that I didn't know something.

"Oh, lighten up." She appeared to be in a much better mood. "In this rain we still have about twenty minutes to go to your house, so where's your iPod?"

I wordlessly handed it over and she giggled at my sullenness and began flipping through my music.

"You should talk to Uncle Carlisle," I informed her, eager for a returning jab. "He can probably give you some medication for all your freaking mood swings."

It only made her start laughing again. Dammit, she won again.

"Yes!" she cried. "Remind me not to underestimate your taste in music ever again."

White Tie Affair's _Candle (Sick and Tired) _began pounding out the speakers.

I felt myself thaw, ignoring her jab. We liked some of the same music?

"You like White Tie Affair?"

"Clearly!" Bella sang quietly along with the music. "This song has been stuck in my head for ages."

This sparked a conversation about music, and I discovered that we had very similar tastes in music.

Bella was animated and laughing as we debated through our mental iPod artist lists. It was moments like these when we truly bonded and I felt myself growing attached to her. She just had so much life and warmth, like the sun. It was the moments like these, when she turned off the act and let herself just be, that I found her most beautiful. She knew that most people thought she was gorgeous, and they were right. But they didn't see this side of her, this playful, intelligent, dynamic girl that made my heart pound. Irresistible in her own unknowing way.

She had started flipping through the CD's I had stored in my glove compartament, and found my Debussy greatest works CD. I cringed mentally, expecting her to laugh.

"You like Debussy?" she asked quietly.

For a moment the music was the only sound in the car.

"Yeah," I replied cautiously.

Her returning smile could have lit the world for days. "Good, me too. _Clair De Lune _is an old favorite."

Smart, gorgeous, hilarious girl who liked Debussy? You might as well tie me up and hand me to her.

"Me too."

We sat there, looking at each other for a few seconds. I felt like a ten year old again, all shy in the face of my "crush."

Realizing that I wasn't looking at the road, I snapped my head forward and turned off into the driveway of the house.

"Crap," I muttered as we parked. The rain was really coming down, and all my stuff was gonna get soaked.

"Don't worry, we'll share," Bella said, holding up her gigantic raincoat. "It has more than enough room for both of us to squeeze under." She threw it over her head, grabbed her bag, and was out of the car before I could respond.

Barely more than a second later she was knocking on my window. "HURRY UP! It's a flood out here!"

Laughing, I collected my books and got out of the car, slipping under the makeshift umbrella.

We made our unsteady way to the doorway, bumping into each other and going the wrong way. Under the raincoat, it was warm and safe and filled with the sound of our laughter. I would take a million thunderstorms to feel that way again.

Eventually, we ran up the slippery steps to the door and she tossed off the coat, bathing herself in the gentle light from the window, catching her breath.

Without realizing what I was doing, I leaned in towards her. Her eyes fluttered closed as our lips were just about to touch-

and then snapped open when the porch light turned on and footsteps pounded towards the door. We sprang apart in just enough time for the door to swing open.

"Bella!" Alice crowed. "You're all wet!"

I drifted inside under the realization of what almost just could have happened while Alice fussed over Bella and took her upstairs and away from me. I shook off my coat and headed to the kitchen to get some of the strong coffee Aunt Esme always brewed during the day for my Uncle Carlisle.

She was sitting at the kitchen table when I came in, making a long and seemingly complicated list while going over floor plans of the house, but she looked up with a warm smile for me.

"How was your day, dear?"

I returned her smile and answered her gentle questions with the usual replies. Good, fine, blah blah. She seemed to sense something was on my mind so we returned to a comfortable silence while I poured some coffee.

Aunt Esme was young. Like, barely into her thirties young. She was my mom's sister, and had similarly caramel colored hair and the same green eyes I did. She was the kindest, purest person I had ever had the pleasure of knowing, and had offered to take me in the moment I had called her a month ago.

"I'm gonna go upstairs and do my homework."

"Alright. Carlisle's in his study for another hour if you need him and I'm here for the rest of the night."

I thanked her and jogged up the staircase. On the second floor, I took a detour down the hallway to say hello to my uncle.

Carlisle was also really young. He was a brilliant, in demand doctor, and had only finished med school six years ago. His compassion helped his work, and he gave the best advice, besides Jasper, of anyone I'd met.

Knocking lightly, I poked my head in the door. "Hey, Carlisle."

He marked the page in his giant book and smiled, his blue eyes warming. "Edward. How was school?"

I shrugged. "It was good." I noticed the lab coat hanging off the back of his chair. "Night shift tonight?"

He nodded, the light from his lamp glinting off pale blonde hair. "Someone's gotta do it," he joked.

One of the things I most admired about Carlisle was that he would always do something for someone else, whether it be helping me with my schoolwork or working the night shift so someone else wouldn't have to. The guy was just so good.

I grinned. "Well, it doesn't look like someone can do my homework for me, so I'll be upstairs."

Carlisle chuckled and returned to his book as I headed out the door.

Once safely in my room, I slumped on the black leather couch and allowed the dam to burst.

Did I really almost kiss Bella? Did she want me to? Did I want to? What would our friends say? Would it happen again?

As those five questions ricoched through my mind, I found myself unable to concentrate on anything else besides the glow in Bella's eyes as they closed, the slight parting of her full lips, the blush that had started to rise in her cheeks...

More confused than ever, I grabbed a notebook and started making a list. An old, compulsive habit I never fully dropped.

YES! I don't know. YES! I don't know. And I hoped.

I plugged in my iPod to the surround sound system and put _Clair de Lune _on. While I forced myself through my homework, the swirling, light notes in the background were a constant reminder of the beauty just two doors away, and the moment we almost had.

**Ah, fluff.**

**This one's kinda long, but you get a good introduction into Edward's head, I think.**

**Thoughts? Questions? Please review!**

**Thanks for reading.**


	5. First Kiss

The couple stared off in silence for a few minutes.

"Ahem," the lawyer said, clearing his throat.

"Oh, right. Well yeah, that's kind of how it began," the woman said.

"When did your actual relationship begin?" he pressed.

"It was the day of the race," the man began.

*****

**BPOV**

Over the next two weeks, I could feel the tension between Edward and I build. As late summer turned into fall, and the temperature cooled, we only heated up.

He still provoked me on purpose, and I still fought him to the finish, but something had changed on that rainy day.

We fought, but the aftermath was different. We shared increasingly long gazes and I tried to find excuses to scoot closer to him in class. I swear I caught him glaring at Mike Newton the other day, too.

After the stupid fights about stupider things, those gazes scared the shit out of me. It's like we tried to find a meaning, an answer, for the burning question of desire that was taking over.

It was a strange feeling, all encompassing and almost tangible. I could feel it now, like a pulsing, electric heat leading me down the hall from where I laid on Alice's bed.

"'Lis?" I called.

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever get the feeling that it could all just change? Like tomorrow will be completely different from now?"

She swiveled around on the chair in front of her elaborate vanity. "Bella, are you okay?"

I sat up and sighed. "Yeah. I just have this feeling. It's a good one though."

"Okay." She nodded thoughtfully, and then she almost smiled. "You're right, though, about that feeling."

"Jasper?"

She giggled. "Yeah."

"Go for it, already! Alice, you and Jazz are perfect for each other."

"You think so?" she asked, biting her lip and looking insecure.

I nodded. "Know so."

Our heartwarming little exchange was inturrupted by a blaring horn outside.

"ALICE! EDWARD!" Emmett yelled from outside.

Laughing, we ran out to Alice's balcony.

Below us, Emmett and Rosalie were waving from a shiny red Jeep. They had been working on that damn thing for months, and it actually looked like a real car now.

They looked really happy, all flushed and smiling. The two of them had been spending a lot of time together working on the Jeep and Emmett had asked Rosalie to go out a few times. I spotted their intertwined hands below them and smiled. They were an adorable couple.

"Oh good, Bella's already here!" Emmett cheered as Jasper came up the driveway on his motorcycle. I could practically feel Alice swooning beside me.

"What's up?" I called.

"Well," Rosalie shouted, "we finished the Jeep! And now all six of us are going racing!"

"YES!" Alice and I whooped and did a little dance around the balcony.

Racing was one of our more dangerous hobbies, considering that we had all just gotten our licenses about a year ago. Rosalie and Emmett had used their impressive mechanic skills to tweak all of our engines to be able to go crazy fast, minus my truck (it was a lost cause). On warm, boring nights, we'd all pile in a few cars and go out to the back roads and race for hours. We'd never gotten caught, and even if we did, I was the police chief's daughter, so who would care?

A thrill of electricity ran through me when Edward yelled from the next balcony. "When are we going?"

"As soon as you three get your lazy asses down here!"

"COMING!" Alice screamed and we scampered back into the house and grabbed our shoes.

Filled with excitement, we thundered down the hallway, meeting Edward at the bottom of the stairs.

His green eyes were bright and his simple button down was slightly off kilter as if he had dressed quickly. My heart thudded deep in my chest and I instinctively took a step towards him.

I could feel it, just like I told Alice earlier. It was tonight. Tonight was the night that everything would change. I wasn't settling for another almost. This time, it would be the real, sparks flying, touchable, tasteable, real, damn thing.

And when I saw the dark intensity build in his eyes, I knew he knew it too.

"Can I ride with you?" I asked impulsively.

He swallowed. "Yeah. I'd like that."

I flushed, and Edward smiled his blinding shy smile.

"MOM! DAD! WE'RE GOING OUT, BE BACK LATER!"

"Call me in two hours!"

"I'm not working the night shift, so be careful!"

The three of us all yelled goodbyes and went to join our friends.

"Okay, this is how it's gonna work," Emmett instructed. "Jazz and Alice in the Porsche, 'cause we all know he can't keep up with the Jeep on that bike."

Jasper protested while Alice giggled behind her hand. "It's so true, Jasper."

"Bells and Eddie-"

"Bells and EDWARD," Edward corrected, "will be riding in the Volvo."

Rosalie flickered a glance in my direction and wiggled her eyebrows mischievously.

"Whatever, lets just go!"

Edward and I ran to the Vovlo. We passed Alice and Jasper, who were playing rock-paper-scissors for the passenger seat. I laughed and deflected Edward's offer to drive.

"You'll see why," I explained, "but the passenger really has more fun."

He shrugged. "Alright, but I'm putting you in charge of music."

"Gotcha." I grabbed his iPod and began flipping through the music and making a playlist I named, "Edward and Bella's Racin' Tracks."

I was concentrating intently and a few minutes into the drive, absentmindedly put my feet up on the dash.

"Uh-uh," Edward said, gently smacking my feet down.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, dad," I said before putting them back up.

He hit them back down again. "No disrespect to the Volvo."

"Fine," I retorted. Just to piss him off, and to see what reaction I'd get, I twisted, leaning my back against the door and resting my feet across his lap.

I was rewarded with hearing his sharp intake of breath, and I grinned wickedly when he glared at me.

"Isabella Marie Swan, get your dirty, fake worn girly red excuses for Converse off me," he demanded, but a smile was hidden in his eyes.

"Nope." I turned my attention back to the iPod, but I couldn't focus. The heat from his body was making it impossible to concentrate.

I was starting to get my breathing under control when the heat intensified on my knee, where Edward's long, sensual fingers were currently drawing light, lazy circles. God, he just kept getting too good to be true. He was barely touching me and I was going practically crazy. And by the looks of the smirk gracing his beautiful, frustrating face, he knew it, too.

Abruptly the heat was gone, and my legs were my own again.

"I think we're here."

Sure enough, the Jeep was lined up next to Alice's Porsche, which Jasper was currently driving. The road we raced on was an old, dusty track, but it was about six cars wide. I was pretty sure they used to use it for logging back in the day. It was about a mile, mile and a half long, perfect for the speeds we liked to go at. We had also painted the trunks of a few trees red down by the end so we could see the finish line.

Edward slid the car into place as I made sure the sunroof was open. He looked at me questioningly but I shrugged him off. He would see after the race.

A light, airy feeling filled me and I was giddy with excitement. I picked up my phone and dialed Rose and Alice for the three way starting call.

"Ready," I began.

"Set." I could see Rosalie bouncing up and down.

"GOOOO!" Alice shrieked.

The Volvo shot forward, slamming me against the seat as I pressed "play" on the iPod.

Trees whipped by in green blurs and the cars beside us were just blobs of fire engine red and sunny yellow.

"AHH! EDWARD DRIVE FASTER!"

The only clear thing in sight was Edward, eyes narrowed with concentration and arm muscles bulging as he gripped the steering wheel.

"YOU GOT IT YOU GOT IT GO GO GO GO GOOOOO!"

_I wanna, I wanna, I wanna touch you. You wanna touch me too._

What a perfect song for the moment.

The bright red beacons were coming up fast and I cheered Edward on as he sped the car up to a terrifying victory speed.

"YESSSSSSSSSS!" I screamed. As soon as I saw him let off the accelerator I shot up and out the sunroof.

We continued to coast along at a high enough speed to make me feel like I was flying. I threw my head back and laughed, relishing the feel of the wind and setting sun. This was the after race moment I lived for, the exhilarating high that made me feel out of control and on top of the world.

But those few perfect seconds slowly came to a halt along with the car. I sighed contentedly and lifted myself completely out of the car so I was sitting on the roof, legs dangling inside.

Edward appeared in front of me, flushed and happy and looking just like the feeling I craved.

"Are you crazy?" he yelled.

Our eyes bored into one another, at perfect level from the way we were arranged. I felt the remaining pieces fall into place, and all that mattered now was the continuation of this perfect few minutes, cocooned with one another, finally real.

No more almosts.

"I think I might be."

And with that, I threaded my fingers in his hair, his arms went around my waist, and our lips crashed together in one messy, synchronized second.

It was coming home and breaking away.

He pulled me closer still, his lips moving powerfully against mine.

The thudding of our hearts and the music was all around us, but I didn't hear it. I felt it.

It was clumsy, and raw, and passionate, and us, because we needed this.

At some unspoken, unfelt signal our frantic pace slowed and I broke away, resting my forehead on his shoulder while he stroked my back through my ratty t-shirt.

"This is it, isn't it?" Edward asked quietly.

I looked up at him, with his searching eyes and messed up hair that almost blended with the setting sun. And I knew, and he knew.

"Yeah," I said. "I think it is."

**So sorry for taking so long with this chapter. Life has been crazy with AP tests and whatever.**

**Please give me your feedback and let me know if I should continue this or not, and your general thoughts.**

**Thanks so much for reading!**


	6. First Break Up: Part Un

"Things were normal and whatever for a while," the woman explained. "I remember the week leading up to homecoming was when the whole break up thing started."

The man nodded his assent, and the lawyer eyed them curiously.

"Break up thing?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, I was really manipulative in high school-"

"Still are."

"SHUT UP, Edward. Anyways, so we would get in these fights all the time and break up and be together by the next morning. It was a cycle."

Her husband, looking darkly amused, laughed. "It was a fucking bullshit cycle, Bella, and we both knew it."

"So why did you do it?" The lawyer interrupted, before the bickering could turn into more ear shattering screaming.

They looked at him with that familiar blank look.

"I guess we really don't know."

*****

**EPOV**

Sunday, October 6, 2003

"Edward," Bella said.

I looked up from our shared physics book. "Mmhm?"

She grinned, an irresistable smile that sent rippling waves of the constant electricity I got around her down my spine. "It's been sixteen days."

Sixteen days. Sixteen, perfect, glorious, overwhelming, amazing days. Three hundred and eighty four hours since the Friday of the race, where with a searing kiss and whispered declaration, Isabella Marie Swan became my girlfriend.

I leaned in a few inches and kissed her. "The best sixteen days of my life."

It was true. Bella and I had spent almost every moment together, either alone or in the company of our friends. We had driven pointlessly through the town at night, seen three movies, gone to dinner in Port Angeles, walked each other to class, made a mess in her kitchen, and done homework together, like we were now, sprawled across my bed, playing footsie in our sock encased feet. Despite the intense attraction I felt, we had kept things strangely innocent, with sweet kisses in the always present rain and no touching besides hand holding or playful punches Bella delivered when she was laughing really hard.

We abandoned our homework in favor of a long, giggle filled kiss. Bella's lips moved softly against mine while I ran a finger along her cheek, reveling in the feel of her satiny skin.

She broke away and gave me a teasing kiss on the cheek before looking back down at her homework. I followed suit, and we worked in silence for a while, the only noises a few murmured questions and the scratching of pencils.

A knock came on the door. "There better be three feet on the floor!" Alice mock-scolded.

"Come in, Tink," I laughed.

She came in, bouncing as usual. "Edward, it wasn't funny when we were kids, and it isn't funny now."

Bella pulled out her cell. "Jeez, Alice, is it noon already?"

I glanced at the clock. Twelve on the dot. I groaned.

"None of that," Alice huffed. "I gave you two kids playtime until noon. Bella, you were the one who demanded time to go get Homecoming dresses."

Already rolling off the bed, Bella laughed. "I know, 'Lis. Gimme a sec to put some decent clothes on. You still have some of my stuff in your room, right?"

Alice nodded her assent and left.

"Why are you changing?" I grumbled. "You look pretty already."

She rolled her eyes. "Really?" she said doubtfully, gesturing to the simple t-shirt that hugged her curves perfectly and my favorite jeans of hers, the ones with holes that weren't there when she bought them but were created naturally. Her long hair that I liked to play with while she was talking was tied up off her face, revealing her neck and making her eyes jump off her face.

"Really. I don't know why you don't wear stuff like that all the time."

The signature Bella blush spread across her cheeks and she jumped back up on the bed.

She giggled and gave me a quick, triumphant kiss. "You," she said, bringing her lips back to mine, "are so damn amazing sometimes."

Still confused and dreamily dazed, I nodded. "Okay."

I blinked, and she was gone.

I finished my homework and then looked back at the clock. It wasn't even one. Bella wouldn't be back for hours.

Goddamn, I was getting obsessed. _This is not good, Edward. Cut the girly crap_, I ordered myself.

It dawned on me. I needed a "guy's day." Rosalie was sure to be with the girls shopping, so Emmett was free and I knew Jasper was.

Me: _The girls are out for a while, you guys up to hang?_

I was fully prepared to wait impatiently for a reply, but I got two new texts almost instantaneously.

Jasper: _Hell yes._

Emmett: _I'm on my way._

Me: _Good. IDK what to do tho._

Emmett: _We're lost without our women. It's sad._

Jasper: _Ah, young love._

Me: _Amen, my brothers._

Jasper: _Yeah well I'll see you fools in a few._

Emmett: _Gimme about ten._

Me: _Got it._

I pocketed my phone and sat up, tossing my stuff on my desk and laying Bella's next to it, then shrugged a hoodie on and headed downstairs.

"Edward, honey, is that you?"

Esme's soft call came from the pristine yet comfortable living room. I walked in and saw her sitting with Uncle Carlisle on the couch, both with various papers spread across their laps and pens tucked behind their ears in almost perfectly matching ways.

"Hey," I said, taking a seat in the armchair. "Um, Em and Jasper are coming over, is that, um, okay?" I asked awkwardly. I wasn't quite sure the rules that applied when a teenage nephew was staying.

He chuckled warmly. "You can relax, Edward. In case you haven't noticed in your month or so here, the twins, Emmett, and Bella are practically part of the family. They practically live here."

I laughed. "Good. If I'm doing something wrong, please let me know, Uncle C."

Two quick knocks came on the door and it swung open loudly.

"Hello?" Jasper's familiar drawl preceded him down the hallway.

"In here, Jazz," I yelled.

He strode in and did that stupid southern boy bow thing that made women of all ages swoon. "Miss Esme, how are you today?"

She giggled. "I'm just fine, Jasper dear."

"I'm glad to hear it, ma'm. And you, sir?"

"Jasper, we've known you for years, and I tell you every time, Carlisle is fine."

Jasper laughed. "Alright, Carlisle."

He turned to me. "Come on, Eddie, Emmett's bringing the jeep and we're going to Joe's," he announced, naming the popular sports bar on the edge of town.

A horn blared from outside.

"We better get going," I said. "I'll call in a little while, Esme."

She nodded. "Okay, boys, behave."

"Y'all have a good day now," Jasper said as we turned and went to the door.

I punched him in the arm. "You always make me look bad, ya douche," I whispered.

"Jealousy's a sin, Eddie boy."

"Shut the hell up. You know I hate that."

We hopped into Emmett's car after a quick fight over shot gun. I won.

Emmett turned to us and grinned. It scared and excited me, that grin. All sorts of crazy and mischevious and danger and wow-our-girlfriends-are-really-gonna-kill-us mixed into one shit eating smile.

"Gentlemen," he declared, "today we reclaim our manhood."

As the tires screeched out of the driveway, there was a very distinct muttering of "Oh, sweet Jesus," from the backseat.

**Okay so Homecoming week is a big one for our lovely young couple.**

**So there will be multiple, slightly shorter chapters.**

**Yeah, this one doesn't have much going on but it's kind of a monster.**

**Sorry about the horrendous wait. But I have my last final on tuesday, and then i'll have all this crazy free time to write and whatever.**

**Review and tell your friends, please :]**


	7. Author's Note

I'm very sorry to all the faithful readers, but She Breaks What She Gets is going on a possibly permanent hiatus. In the future, I may rewrite it. I just feel like I took it in a direction that it was never supposed to go. Thank you all for your support and response. Below this is a piece of a new story I'm writing. I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think. It'll be up soon.

* * *

As a child, big poofy dresses and romantic "I do's" were prominent features in my dreams.

I had the day perfectly planned by the time I was nine. I would have a strapless yet traditional wedding gown with an eye length veil. I would leave my short hair down, but curled with a diamond or two woven in, though I wasn't sure how exactly one did that. I would be married in a small, intimate crowd of my closest friends and family. Afterwards, we would celebrate in a lavish reception with an eight layered cake. I would insist on a honeymoon in the tropics.

It was silly, it was idealistic. Until I was twenty five, I saw no reason why it shouldn't happen.

What I got was very different.

The day of my wedding, nothing went as planned. I had my traditional dress and veil, and my hair was curled just right. It would certainly be a small crowd, but it would be far from the loving atmosphere I had dreamed of. The reception would probably consist of more strategy meetings and then me, alone, curled up in a lonely apartament. There would be no honeymoon.

I dressed quietly, quickly, and alone. The wedding party arrived right on time to pick me up.

My brother Emmett helped me into the car, where I sat beside his wife and my best friend Rosalie. None of us spoke.

The Jeep rumbled to a stop in front of the courthouse, where lounging reporters immediately stood at attention, camera's flying up and pointing right at me.

"Are you ready?" Emmett twisted around and looked at me with his compassionate eyes, and I choked up.

I swallowed the tears and nodded. "As I'll ever be."

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.

Immediately, the world erupted into chaos. Lights flashing, screaming people in all directions, and the constant, constant staring.

"Miss Cullen! Miss Cullen! Why the wedding dress?"

"Miss Cullen! Is this some sort of plea to the jury?"

"Miss Cullen! Do you think your fiance will be found guilty?"

Pressure built in my chest as I bit back a scream. This was never, ever, how it was supposed to be.

* * *

A piece from my new story, coming soon!

I really hope you'll all check it out.


	8. To the Ends of the Earth is up!

I just posted the prologue and first chapter of the new story I previewed for you all yesterday.

It's called To the Ends of the Earth. It's an A/J story, and very different.

I hope you'll give it a try.


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